Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of vacuum-based cleaning attachments, in particular to those utensils which utilize roller brushes.
2. Description of the Related Art
The art of vacuum cleaner attachments is as old and varied as the art relating to vacuum cleaners themselves. Vacuum cleaners generally come as two types: a pure vacuum suction unit commonly referred to a shop vacuum. This device generally relies on a fan-based vacuum to use suction to remove dirt and other unwanted particulate matter from the surface being cleaned. Roller brush-based vacuum cleaners on the other hand, combine a powered rotary brush to agitate the cleaning surface and to release dirt with a fan-induced vacuum to remove the dirt into the containment of the vacuum cleaner.
Many of the shop type vacuums and the roller brush vacuums utilize reversibly connectable attachments for specialized cleaning functions. These attachments generally connected to the vacuum cleaner so to be powered by the suction vacuum that the vacuum cleaner produces. Generally speaking, these vacuum cleaner attachments are in a wand-shape configuration and feature a tube construction in which the body of the attachment is shaped to allow the attachment access to areas that the vacuum cleaner could not ordinarily reach.
One area of this prior art which has not been properly addressed is in reference to the specialized cleaning of heat exchanger units for heating/cooling apparatuses. Heat exchanger units are the heat transferring component of heating and cooling systems which move heat from one environment to another environment of the heating and cooling system. For refrigeration, air-conditioning or other cooling systems, the heat exchanger is generally a coiled pattern of continuous tubing in which heated refrigerant or coolant is passed. The heated refrigerant/coolant, by passing though the interior of the tubing, transfers its heat to the structure of the tubing itself. The tubing, which is constructed to be very receptive to heat transfer (i.e.; metal tubing), transfers the heat from its interior to its outside surface. There, the external environment, either water or air, surrounding the outside of the tubing, absorbs the heat from the tubing. In this manner, the heat exchanger transfers the heat to effect the cooling of the refrigerant/coolant.
The heat exchangers for heating units are generally situated not in the outside environment but within the heating device itself. For example, a heating boiler has the heat exchanger built into the boiler where hot combustion gases pass though the inside of tubing (flue tubing) to transfer heat to the boiler water. This heated boiler water is then circulated to radiators situated though out the building being heated.
Another example of a heating unit""s heat exchanger would be for forced air heaters. In this instance, the hot air from the combustion chamber of the furnace flows through the inside the tube (flue tube) to heat the forced air that is surrounding the flue tubes. The heated forced air is then dispersed though out the building being heated.
If the surface of the heat exchanger through which the forced air or heated gas comes into contact are not kept clean, the functioning and efficiency of the heat exchanger could be seriously impacted. For example, the heat exchanger for hermetic refrigerant-based cooling systems transfers heat accumulated by the refrigerant to the outside environment when the refrigerant is compressed from a gas into a liquid state by the refrigerator""s compressor. This heat exchanger releases the heat to the ambient air surrounding the heat exchanger to dissipate the heat to the surrounding environment. If airborne particulate matter, such as dust, coats or otherwise accumulates on the outside surface of the cooling coiling of the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger unit would be unable to effectively transfer the heat from the refrigerant/coolant. The refrigeration unit, to make up for this loss of heat transfer efficiency would increase the running time of refrigerator""s cooling cycle. This reaction increases the wear and tear on the compressor system, as well as, unnecessarily increases the operational costs. This situation also holds true for non-hermetically sealed/non-compression cooling systems as well, in that they too will make up for increased heat exchanger inefficiency by running longer and have the same types of increases in cost.
For heating systems, the combustion gas tubes (flue tubes) become coated with the particulate matter resulting from the burning of carbonaceous fuels that are used to heat the air or water on the outside surfaces of the heat exchangers. If such coating by the particulate matter is not regularly removed as part of normal maintenance, it will act as insulation to prevent effective heat transfer by the heat exchanger. The system, to make up for this heat loss, will run longer causing unnecessary wear and tear on the machinery and increase operational costs.
Today, such heat exchanger cleaning is accomplished with brushes and scrapers to effect removal of particulate matter from the surfaces of the heat exchanger. A problem for this type of removal is that particulate matter is easily disturbed and scattered. The scattered particulate matter will float through the air to nearby objects to contaminate their surfaces. Worse, the airborne particulate matter can be breathed in by the cleaners and others in the nearby vicinity. While this might not be a significant risk for the xe2x80x9conce-a-yearxe2x80x9d cleaner, it could pose significant respiratory and related health problems for the professional who regularly cleans and maintains such machinery.
What is needed therefore is a vacuum cleaner powered accessory that can universally connect to and be powered by a wide variety of vacuum cleaners and vacuum cleaner systems to effectively clean the air contact surfaces of heat exchanger units. The accessory should quickly remove and then contain within the vacuum cleaner, the particulate matter for easy and clean disposal. This would prevent the particulate matter during the removal process from contaminating surfaces of other objects and posing a health hazard to individuals.
The invention is a vacuum cleaner accessory which is comprised of a hollow tube with two open ends, front and back. The back open end provides for universal, quick, reversible attachment to the vacuum system while the front open end of the tube moveably mounts a roller brush in front of the aperture located at the front open end. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, two prongs, in a fork-like appearance, extend forward from the front open end. A roller brush is rotatably suspended between the prongs and held in front of the aperture.
For use in cleaning the outside portions of the coils of a heat exchanger, the brush would be cylindrical shaped.
For use in cleaning the inside surface of a tube of the heat exchanger, the brush would be spherical-shaped. The diameters of both the body and the brush would be smaller than the inner diameter of the heat exchanger tubing.
In operation, the accessory by its back open end is attached to a vacuum system and the vacuum system is switched on. The operator places the brush end of the invention on the surface of the tubing/coil to be cleaned and pushes the device back and forth over the surface. The brush is manually pushed along and rotated to agitate and remove the particulate matter from the surface being cleaned. The close proximity of the brush to the vacuum operation of the front open end ensures that the xe2x80x9ckicked upxe2x80x9d particulate matter is sucked into the front open end and is properly removed by the vacuum cleaner/system. In this manner, the vacuum suction prevents the vast majority of agitated particulate matter from escaping into the open environment where it could contaminate other objects or cause health problems to nearby personnel.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, low cost, easy to construct vacuum operated cleaning device that removes and contains particulate matter that when agitated can become airborne and disperse to contaminate persons and to soil other surfaces of other items not being cleaned.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and methodology of cleaning and containing for particulate surface contaminants.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a means of improving the efficiency of heat exchanger units of heating and cooling systems.
It is an object of the present invention to provide means and methodology for reducing exposure of inhalation of particulate contaminants by professionals servicing heat exchangers of heating-cooling units.
It is an object of the invention to provide a device that can be operated in narrow or otherwise confined spaces.
It is an object of the invention to protect the operator from electrical shock when cleaning in an area that has electrically charged machinery or devices.